The U.S. Senate, in a key Thursday vote, moved ahead with legislation to give President Obama fast-track authority to negotiate new trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership that would lower tariffs on U.S. exports to Asia.

In supplying the needed votes, however, Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, D-Wash., played hardball and extracted a key concession from Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell will allow a vote in June to renew the U.S. Export-Import Bank.

Cantwell strikes a hard bargain: “We want to drag this issue out of the shadows and show the American people where the Senate stands.” (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

“We want this vote to be on a viable legislative vehicle. We want to drag this issue out of the shadows and show the American people where the Senate stands,” Cantwell said. “What is frustrating in America’s trade debate is that the far-right conservatives are trying to get rid of trade tools that allow American companies to compete.

“My point is that in a global economy, export is the way to go. We must have the trade tools to go along with opening markets.”

The Export-Import Bank guarantees loans for U.S. exporters. It has underwritten millions of dollars of Boeing jet sales, but is important for a wide variety of small exporting businesses. The bank supports an estimated 164,000 jobs across the country. Ex-Im has consistently returned money to the U.S. Treasury.

Cantwell, Murray and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., all with big Boeing plants in their states, were key votes. McConnell had to get to 60 votes to shut off a filibuster so the Senate can complete work on the trade authority legislation before the Memorial Day break.

They extracted the concession, and the Senate voted 62-38 to cut off the filibuster.

“The Export-Import Bank is critically important to Washington state workers and the economy, so it was great we were able to secure a commitment today from Senate Republicans to allow a vote next month,” Murray said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: “Mitch gave us a commitment. We will have a vote in June.”

And, added Graham, a Republican presidential hopeful: “Mitch gave us a commitment. We will have a vote in June.”

If the Senate votes to renew the Export-Import Bank — the votes are apparently there — the legislation faces raucous right-wing resistance in the House. Such conservative lobbies as FreedomWorks, the Heritage Foundation and the Club for Growth (often nicknamed Club for Greed) are urging elimination of the bank.

They’ve been joined by a major corporate ally.

Delta Air Lines is moving into the Northwest in a big way, with expanded flights on routes into and out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport held for years by United Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

But Delta is furiously lobbying for elimination of the Export-Import Bank — which supports thousands of Washington state jobs — on grounds that it helps Delta’s foreign competitors when they buy Boeing jets. Delta has not been called out on the matter.

If you missed the movie “Twister,” House Speaker John Boehner’s behavior on the Export-Import Bank is a good substitute.

The bank has guaranteed loans for an estimated 350 businesses in Boehner’s home state of Ohio, for export-related commerce worth $3 billion. “Thousands of jobs are on the line that will disappear quickly” if Ex-Im is eliminated, Boehner said recently.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. She’s in the House Republican leadership but has not joined battle to save the Export-Import Bank.

McConnell, an opponent of the bank, is allowing a Senate vote. “Even though he is personally opposed to do it, he will allow a vote,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Senate Republican whip. Cornyn and Cantwell engaged in extensive negotiations over the shape of the vote.

Boehner promised something called an “open amendment process” in which House members can introduce all sorts of proposals to kill or phase out the bank. “If the Senate sends a bill over, there would be an open amendment process and the House will be able to work its will,” Boehner said, ambiguously, on Thursday.

The Export-Import Bank would be renewed if House Republican leaders allowed an up-or-down vote. Almost all of the 188 House Democrats back its renewal, and 58 Republicans have signed a letter of support.

This state’s four Republican House members have been notably quiet in the Ex-Im debate. Notably absent from the battle has been Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., a member of the House Republican leadership, who issues ceaseless press releases about championing jobs for her Eastern Washington district.

Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash., who has a seat on the House Financial Services Committee, has organized support for Ex-Im both in the state delegation and in the House.